Brickhouse Does Summer Black Out 2010

As many people know, I'm a bit of a blackaholic when it comes to clothing. But next week is going to be a little different for me. I'll explain why, but first allow me to give you the backstory.

When I re-entered the workforce after nearly two-years off with my little one, I had to buy new clothes for the office. I thought I was being so smart when I decided to limit my new clothing purchases to just three colors: black, white, and red. It all worked out really well, actually. I didn't spend a lot of money on stuff - or stuff to go with the stuff. I could literally reach into the closet, close my eyes, pull out a couple of separates and have the darn things match. Accessorizing was a breeze. It was all so easy. But clearly black dominated. And it still does, because here's the big secret about wearing mostly black: After a while, wearing anything else makes you feel messy and disheveled. When I'm wearing black, I feel neat. My outfit feels perfect - even when I've just thrown on a t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of punky sneakers to go to the supermarket. Le noir, c'est chic.

Don't get me wrong. I don't wear so much black clothing that I look like a weirdo. I just own a good bit of the stuff. Oh sure, I sometimes wear colors. For a day or two, and well, sometimes with black. But, black tamps things down, keeps the color from getting out of hand. Prevents me from making a fool of myself or looking like I've thrown up my emotions in a rainbow of fruit flavors. Somebody out there knows what I'm talking about. From what I've been reading in the blogosphere, I'm not the only style enthusiast to admit to being black-dependent.

Now, fashion blogger Sal McGraw of AlreadyPretty has challenged her bloggy buddies to spend the next week being black-free. When I read her post I knew immediately that I would take part. Fortunately, my most recent clothing purchases have all been in military/safari colors like army green, navy blue, and khaki. So, I won't exactly look like a flower garden next week but I just might be ready to mix things up a bit more. Wish me luck!